Move More – New Exercise Guidelines

Exercise.  Who has time to fit exercise into their day during the holiday season?  And what are the guidelines for how much exercise we should get each day?  A frequently asked question from my students is “How much exercise do I need each day?”  Well, recently, November 2018 to be precise, the federal guidelines on physical activity were updated.  So, what are the latest recommendations and who sets those guidelines anyway?

Who sets the guidelines for exercise?
The federal government sets guidelines for what we should eat at MyPlate.  A number of federal agencies worked together to update the physical activity guidelines including:  Centers for Disease Control, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institutes of Health and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.  The guidelines were first issued in 2008 and November, 2018 is the first time the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans have been updated. 

What is the theme of the new physical activity campaign?
“Move Your Way”.   Why the change and what does this “Move Your Way” mean?  Research found that only 1 in 5 adults and teenagers met the Physical Activity Guidelines.  So, the new guidelines provide “tips and strategies to help people fit more activity into their busy routines.”  I have always encouraged students and others who have no time for the gym to fit exercise into what they do every day.  One of my favorites is to park far away.  My car is almost always one of the furthest from the door.  One student worked the cash register at a retail store and said she had no time to exercise.  I asked if there was any way she could build some steps into her workday.  She thought about it and came to class and said she had over 10,000 steps.  She started to routinely volunteer to restock the items customers didn’t want and this gave her lots of steps walking around the store.

What are the current guidelines for physical activity?

Kids 6-17
Kids ages 6-17 need 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity.  This includes walking, running – things that make their hearts beat faster. 

Adults – also 60 minutes a day but to get the most health benefits:
  1. Aerobic – for healthy lungs and heart.
  • Vigorous aerobic (or as my students prefer to say, cardio) exercise 75 minutes a week or moderate aerobic exercise 150 minutes a week.   
      2.   Muscle strengthening – ladies may prefer to call it toning and yoga counts.   Guys may prefer   weight lifting, push ups and other muscle building exercises.  This is recommended twice a week 

What are the changes in the physical fitness guidelines?
The big change is we should count all our movement during the day.  Not just the trips to the gym, or the exercise classes but simple things like standing on the subway instead of sitting, standing up and walking around when you talk on the phone.   Researchers call this, NEAT for non-exercise activity thermogenesis.  You rev up your system with by just moving more.  NIH reports that “even trivial physical activities increase metabolic rate substantially.” 
They advise not to give up going to the gym and working out or other forms of more intense physical activity.  By add in some of those NEAT activities during the day.  

What are some simple NEAT activities you can add to your day?
The Move Your Way campaign has fact sheets, handouts free to use for teachers, coaches, personal trainers and anyone interested in better health.  Whatever gets you moving is good for your health including:  raking, vacuuming, walking the dog, gardening, playing catch with your kid, dancing, pushing a kid in a stroller. Moving more for kids:  bicycling, skateboarding, walking the dog, hiking, dancing, swimming, climbing or swinging on monkey bars, jumping rope, basketball, soccer. 

What are some ways you can build some NEAT activities into your day to Move More and Sit Less?  Here is a short video with simple ways to add more movement to your day, Move Your Way:  Tips for Busy Days. 


 Sources:  Physical Activity Guidelines, exercise, study, risk, light physical activity, reports, Move Your Way:  Tips for Busy Days  Illustrations:  Move, adult 1, adult 2


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